#ImprovCookingChallenge: Asparagus and Mushroom Tortellini

Even though Mother Nature can't seem to decide if it's going to be Spring or not (our temperatures keep jumping from the 40's to nearly 80 degrees every couple of days), I've decided Spring is here and I'm celebrating it whether or not the weather is on board.

Mainly this comes in how I'm dressing as I've banished my heavy sweaters to the back of the closet and my boots to a storage tote underneath the bed. Have I been nearly frozen a couple of days? Yes, but let's not talk about that okay?

In addition to dressing for spring weather, my recipes have turned from warm and hearty to light and airy. Asparagus starts to come back into the stores in the spring and it's so common to find recipes calling for asparagus, peas, cream and pasta.

Which is why the ingredients for April's Improv Cooking Challenge are asparagus and cream. I actually wasn't planning on making a pasta recipe and wanted to do something completely out of the box, but then I just really wanted pasta.

The #ImprovCookingChallenge is a monthly blogging event where two ingredients are assigned to a month. Bloggers can make any recipe they like as long as it features the two ingredients.

If you are a blogger and would like to join us, please visit our Facebook page.You can also read more about the event on our our home page. If you’d like to see previous creations, check out our Pinterest board.

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook tortellini according to package directions, then drain, return to the pot and set aside.
2. In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and asparagus and cook for 5-6 minutes or until tender-crisp.
3. Add in the mushrooms and cook 3-4 minutes more or until all of the vegetables reach your desired consistency. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more.
4. Pour the cream into the skillet while stirring, then stir in the tortellini, followed by the Parmesan cheese until it melts.
5. Bring the cream to just a simmer, then remove from the heat. Season to taste with salt, pepper and crushed red pepper.
6. Divide onto plates and top with crumbled bacon. I ended up making this recipe on a weeknight along with another recipe for dinner because I had ran out of time to make it over the weekend. I was 100% convinced that I would be the only one eating what I had made and the rest would be leftovers.

And then by some vegetable miracle, my husband, who hates vegetables, decided to try this dish and preferred it to the less vegetable-more meat other dish I had actually made for him to eat that night. I'm convinced he's been abducted by aliens, but for the time being, I'll just enjoy the fact that he voluntarily ate something with more vegetables than meat. And if you have a fellow vegetable hater in your house, maybe you should make this dish too. Wouldn't it be incredible if they ended up eating it and liking it?!